Cold water injector for hot water supply pipes



Jan. 20, 1942.

E. H. RUPPERT ETAL COLD WATER INJECTOR FOR HOT WATER SUPPLY PIPES Filed July s, 1938 Patented Jan. 20, 1942 CQLD WATER INJECTOR FOB H01 WATER SUPPLY PRES Edward H. Buppert, Brooklyn, and George H. Lippincott, New York, N. Y.

Application no; a, 1938', serial No. 218,116

1 @laim. (c1. 23899) The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic device which will directly inject into a hot water supply pipe a proportion of cold water dependent upon a predetermined temperature of the water passing through the supply pipe and in such manner that the use of a mixing chamber and also the use of a thermostatic element within such chamber or, in other respects subjected directly to surface con tact with the hot water, is avoided.

The device is inexpensive, simple in construction, and may be quickly applied to existing hot water systems, as, for example, to the hotwater supply pipe leading from a hot water tank and to the cold water inlet pipe leading to such tank.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing an embodiment of the invention applied to a hot water tank.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in. section, showing the primary operating member.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line Figure 2.

In the drawing we have shown a hot water tank at i to whichmay be led cold water via the pipe 2. At the top of the tank is the usual hot, water ply pipe 5 leading to the usual household hot water faucet system.

Connected at the side of the T-head opposite. pipe 5 is a short pipe 5 to which is secured, as by coupling l, an injection pipe 8 which carries the injector. The injector comprises a tubular base member having a cylindrical aperture which receives slide valve t. The valve is normally held in open position, receiving the light tension of a coil spring it held in position by a base closure cap ll threaded at the end of the tubular valve casing l2.

Preferably formed integral with tubular valve casing I2 is a bracket arm l2a: having a transversely bent end member l2xx. Member lira: is formed with a threaded aperture through which is passed th'e threaded stem of an expansion bellows l3, the latter being secured in may be positioned a holding nut H. The connector passes downwardly.through a packing gland member 98, the packing being held in position by'a cap it threaded on the gland memoutlet pipe 3 connected by a T-head d with supposition by nut M. Through the threaded stem of b'ellows l3 passes a flexible conduit l5 leading to a hollow coupling l6 which receives outflow pipe 9 and pipe 60: which is immediately connected to T-head 4. The inner end of the bellows carries a hollow internally threaded head like which receives a stem M, the latter carrying a thumb wheel Hm. Above the thumb wheel 55 Temperature regulation or the outflow hot her.

At its lower end the connector passes through the central aperture of a plural apertured web 20 carried by sleeve valve 9 at its upper end, a nut 2i holding the said parts in connected position. When lock nut Eda: is loosenedthumb wheel it may be rotated to adjust the position of the sleeve valve relatively to the bellows l3.

The sleeve valve S-is formed with opposed ports a and b with a longitudinally extending slot 22 which receives a guide pin 23 carried by member l2, so th' t the sleeve valve is restrained against rotation.

To the cold water intake pipe 2 is connected via control valve 26 a cold water pipe 25 which is threaded into the injector opposite port a of the sleeve valve.

It will be understood that at the end of flexible pipe conduit ill will be disposed a thermo cup 26 containing a suitable liquid, which lieuid will also be contained in the tube itself and in the bellows.

In the position of the parts illustrated in Figure 2, the hot water flowing through connected pipes 5, 6.1:, has exceeded in temperature a predetermined minimum and therefore expansion of theliquid in thermo cup 26 has caused the bellows 'to move the sleeve valve 9 downwardly ,against the tension of spring ill, thus opening the valve so that cold water will be directly injected through ports a and '1) into the hot wateroutflow pipe M. This action will continue until the temperature of the hot water passing through the outflow pipes has been reduced to a desired degree, whereupon the expansible liquid will contract and the bellows will contract, aided by the pressure of spring In, reducing the injection of water may conveniently and quickly be secured through operation of the thumb wheel Hm: which will vary the position of the sleeve valve 9 relatively the position of the unit 13, l3x.

It will be seen that hot water cannot back into the cold water line, this action being stopped by flap valve 21.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

In cold water injectors and in combination with a sleeve valve, a thermal expansible device, and an adjustable connection between said device andthe sleeve valve, of a valve casing comprising a unitary metallic member having at one end a head formed with two cylindrical bores extending through the head, the first bore having its direction substantially at right angles to the second bore, and a sleeve valve disposed in the second bore, the ends of the first bore being adapted for receiving and holding an inlet and an outlet pipe, a closure cap for one end of the second bore and a packing closure cap in the 0pposite end of the second bore, a rigid arm integrally extending outwardly from th head and substantially parallel with the second bore, the thermal expansible device being of the bellowstype and having one end held fixedly to said rigid arm at one end thereof and having its opposite end connected to the sleeve valve by means of a threaded and adjustable connection.

EDWARD H. RUPPERT. GEORGE H. LIPPINCOTT. 

